Friday, March 20, 2020

Navigating The New Reality


Mantel in the library. 

Another almost unbearably beautiful day and one in which I did not read much news. It just is what it is. 
And what it is is Gibson's birthday! Eight years old today and the plan had been for the family to go to Disney World for the kids' spring break and celebrate Gibson's birthday there but of course, what seemed possible a week ago is not remotely so now. 
But Lily made the most of it and took the kids to a beach where there were very few people and none nearly as close as six feet away and they swam and played in the sand and had a picnic and this evening there will be cake and pizza. From the pictures she sent, it would appear that the day was not a complete bust. In fact, I think there was joy. 


We called the birthday boy this morning and when we got ahold of him he said, "Why are you calling me?"
Oh, Gibson. All last week he kept saying, "So Mer, do you know what big event is about to happen?"
Some of you remember when he looked like this. 


What a beautiful newborn he was, born in his parent's bed, the first hands to touch him were his father's. Lily is a warrior mama. Both of my daughters who have given birth are. They just get the job done! What a wonderful day that was, the day our boy Gibson Monroe was born. 

Love in the time of the Corona Virus. How you doin'? You okay? I sure hope so. It's still such early days and we're all figuring it out, aren't we? I did a little laundry, hung clothes, pulled some weeds, did a crossword, made a lemon meringue pie for no apparent reason except that I have surfeit of lemons and plenty of eggs. Bless my sweet hens. 


This morning I cracked open that huge egg that Miss Susie laid and was incredibly surprised to find that its yolk (a single yolk) was hardly bigger than the yolk of a very small egg that I cracked right beside it in the bowl. 
Looks can be deceiving. 
Size doesn't always matter. 

Mr. Moon spent half the day looking over a contract and the other half working on his boat. He's still working on his boat. Therein lies a story. 
A few days ago he told me that a friend of his, a guy he goes fishing with, was planning a trip out on the Gulf to fish on Saturday and that he wanted to go too. He promised to use so much hand sanitizer and so on and so forth. 
I went a tiny bit nuclear and pointed out that dammit, you cannot keep a six-foot distance between three (or four?) guys on a fishing boat. Period, the end. That it's not just touching. It's breathing. 
And we have made a compromise. 
He is going to go fishing tomorrow with his friend but he is going to have his own boat and they will just stick together close enough to keep an eye out and even to talk, probably, but will maintain safe distance. 
I just heaved a huge sigh, even thinking about this. 
Am I being overly concerned? Is he being way too casual and taking unnecessary chances? 
Yes. And yes. Probably. I don't know. 
I have friends who are positively self-quarantining. There are risk factors involved there. And then there's Lily who is about to go back to work in a grocery store. And Jessie, who is about to go back to work in a hospital. And people who are still working in all kinds of jobs and in all kinds of conditions who are risking their lives for the benefit of others. There are quite necessary reasons to leave one's house. 
And for Mr. Moon, a day out on the Gulf is one of them. 
May he bring home fish for us to eat. And not a virus for us to catch. 

*****

I just Face Timed with Gibson. He seems very happy and that makes me happy. He said they had a great time at the beach. 

I'm sure there are other things I was going to talk about but I've forgotten them, whatever they were. 
Oh! Did you see Trump lose his shit completely when a reporter asked him what he could say to Americans who are so very worried about this virus? 
I think the man is melting down as he realizes that he cannot bullshit his way through this very real situation. That certainly doesn't help things, does it? 
I would say that I keep thinking about how Barack Obama would have handled this crisis but- see above. 
It is what it is. We cannot change what has happened and we cannot control what is happening. We can simply do the best we can. And I am incredibly grateful for these beautiful spring days and chickens sunbathing in the yard 


and blooming wisteria and the newest, tenderest, bravest, greenest leaves in the oak trees. For plenty to eat, for family who is right now healthy. For a husband to share all of this with. For books to read and a yard to tend. 
For potatoes coming up in the garden. 


For Benadryl and Ativan if I need them. For texting and phoning and Face Time. For you, wherever you live, who are going through all of this at the same time as I am. As we all are. For those of you who write your own blogs to share your own experiences, for those of you who take time to comment here, for those of you who come and read and find something that may be useful. 
And also, for laws that will hopefully deal harshly with lawmakers who had inside information on what this crisis was going to be like and sold their stocks while telling the nation not to panic, to be calm, that all was well. 
Dianne Feinstein? Really? Et tu, Brute? 

Well. So it goes. I am wishing us all health. Do what you gotta do. 

Love...Ms. Moon


22 comments:

  1. You are not overreacting about Mr Moon and that boat trip. I'm glad they will be in separate boats. The market and stocks, oh lord. My retirement acct is demolished. Things will bounce back but I expect to always be feeling the reverberations of this crash.

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  2. I expected better of Feinstein. And I must find a video of the orange news conference this morning.
    Happy birthday to Gibson, the little had rocker.

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  3. I expected that behavior from Republicans, but not from Feinstein. I'm very disappointed in her.

    Are those chickens laying on the ground? Do they do that? Please do explain what I am seeing there. Chickens are a complete mystery to me.

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  4. I may be a pauper when this shit is done or I could be dead. Neither prospect fills me with glee, so I am just taking it day by day. This is all a recipe for high anxiety and agoraphobia. I'[m glad Gibson and his family had a good time. Please extend happy birthday greetings. Wishing you a sweet night.

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  5. Feinstein's money has been in a blind trust over which she has no say nor information, since she's been in Congress.

    In fact she can't legally know nor decide anything about it. She wasn't at the coronavirus meeting, so she didn't have the info anyway.

    Please let's get the facts and then if the law has to be invoked, let it be against anyone who knowingly sold stock before a crash.

    Burr might in fact have done this.

    However a couple of the other senators had sold way before the coronavirus info came out,or they have managers who do all the buying and selling without consulting. Really wealthy people do this. Hard for ordinary folks to grasp what it is to be so wealthy you literally don't know the day to day of your holdings! Right now what I know about mine is that I daren't look!

    But, this too shall pass. One day at a time. Even one hour at a time when we're really stressed!

    I bless the bloggers who are giving us interesting thoughts and insights, especially this blogger I'm responding to!

    Yo be clear, I'm not defending anyone corrupt, just asking that we let the facts out, and suspend judgment till we know better.

    I was outraged at first until I learned more, admittedly.

    On to more fun things, like that great beach day, Miss Maggie with her swimmies! The chickens peacefully bimbling about. The amazing lemon meringue pie just because! All lovely and thank you.

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  6. you boomers are shutting down the entire economy because you're afraid of a flu. Seriously, can you boomers kill yourselves? You are the most selfish generation to ever exist. You don't give a shit about climate change, why should we young people give a shit if you get sick and die of some virus? I HOPE the virus gets much stronger and kills you all.

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    1. Without Courage and hiding under the cover of Anonymity, I find it impossible to take a comment seriously. Probably a Bot since I've seen this exact same message, word for work, circulating, so it's suspect that a real person with an opinion, even a vile opinion, is even behind it. One Blogger's response to 'it' was hilarious!

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  7. Overreacting might give us a chance ... https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/20/21179040/coronavirus-us-italy-not-overreacting

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  8. Happy birthday Gibson! Joyous rocker boy!❤️

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  9. You are definitely not overreacting. You're where I was a week ago today, when I pulled Jonah from school a day early. In that week's time:

    K12 schools have been closed until April 28th at the least
    Colleges and Universities must be completely remote and online
    All restaurants are closed except for takeout
    We can't gather in groups of more than 10, and must keep 6 feet of distance between us and everyone else
    Today Oregon went into essential lockdown, with a "shelter in place" executive order.

    A week ago, I wasn't sure if I was overreacting. Today, that kind of innocence feels unrecognizable.

    Sending you love. This is going to be the weirdest few months of our lives. So glad you are out there, writing. xoxo

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  10. Thank you for your posts. You’ve created a wonderful little world and I feel lucky are with us.

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  11. It's so good to know that you're on the other side of the country, writing these posts and sharing your life with us. Happy Birthday to Gibson! He's becoming a fine young man!

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  12. The uncertainty of when this might end is the worst part of all this, to me anyway.

    Happy Birthday to Gibson! He'll never forget this one, I bet.

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  13. I'm glad your Grandson's Birthday was Salvaged with different Plans and the Kids do look Joyful and perhaps it was an even better time spent at the Beach than at Disney World? Your Pie, OMG, it's perfection! I agree that 45 cannot bullshit his way out of this one and thus is melting down as it becomes apparent he's not up to Leading thru this Pandemic and has wasted far too much time already downplaying something serious. We are Sheltering in Place too and I don't think you were being unnecessarily cautious about the Fishing Trip, I'm glad a healthy compromise was reached and I Hope only Fish were caught and not a Virus. We each have to manage how best to balance this all out in daily life, don't we? Be and Stay Well...

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  14. Happy Belated Birthday, Gibson!

    Don't think you were over-reacting to the fishing trip.

    While I am retired, my DH still has to go to work and deal with customers. Not fun, especially since many of them still think this is all a plot against the orange idiot. Stay safe.

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  15. Strange times indeed. And yet the sun rises every morning, the chickadees still come to the feeder. It feels so surreal. There are more parents and children going for walks I've noticed, less traffic.

    My niece is coming for dinner tonight because she's stuck in her apartment downtown, alone, except for her cat.

    Sending hugs and love.

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  16. Seeing what's happening in Italy should be the wake-up call all countries need. You're not overreacting. I actually did get out yesterday to do some shoping but I had to have my attestation on me in case I was stopped by the police. It'll be so much harder if/when people are told to stay home definitively and no mixing. We can't mingle at all so I'm alone here for at least another 10 days. But it's worth it to at least give the health services a fighting chance isn't it. And happy birthday Gibson - looks like they had a great time!

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  17. I am with Ramona on this one. Last week I was out of the country and chomping at the bit to get home before they pulled up the gate behind me. I am home now and the hospitals here are in trouble, out of everything. We also have an executive order to shelter in place. I guess it is every state on its own. The federal government is impotent. We need to stay away from each other and that is hard. My granddaughter is going crazy she needs to get out and run.

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  18. Dearest Mary-I love you and your family. And your chickens. What we're going through is fucking hard. To come here and be soothed for a while is such a relief. I took myself out of the clinic on Tuesday and haven't been back.A few trips to the store, now sheltering in place with the dog and cat. So scared alternating with moments of respite. Noticing many acts of kindness, talking with neighbors. May you and yours stay healthy and safe, dear one.

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  19. I read that Feinstein's situation was different from Sens Burr and Loeffler, who were the prime offenders in those stock deals. Apparently Feinstein's stocks are in a blind trust and she wasn't even aware they were being sold. I also read (somewhere, though I can't find the article now) that she lost money on the deal. So I'm willing to cut her a bit of slack. Maybe I'm just playing favorites in my own mind.

    I'm so glad Gibson had a good birthday! It's important to maintain some degree of normalcy (as much as is safely possible) in all this, I think.

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  20. Trump gets more irrelevant and useless by the day. unfortunately it doesn't stop him from lying and screwing us over. did you see that he sent a letter to N. Korea Kim Jong Un offering to help him with the virus outbreak there? He's not even helping here but he want to help N. Korea?

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  21. Wishing your wonderful Gibson many happy returns of the day, and that his family stay healthy to enjoy future birthdays with him.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.